Velvety smooth easy vegan cheese sauce, made from simple pantry ingredients. Comes together fast in an Instant Pot or on a stovetop. Delicious served over pasta, veggies, baked potatoes, or anywhere you’d pour cheese sauce.️
Looking for more full-of-flavor cheesy vegan recipes? Try my Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, Vegan Provolone Cheese Sauce and this Homemade Almond Parmesan Cheese.
Jump to:
I used to think giving up cheese meant giving up my favorites. I mean, what’s a baked potato or bowl of chili without cheese sauce?
But this plant-based cheese sauce changed everything. It’s creamy, rich, and full of flavor — but made entirely from whole, plant-based ingredients you likely already have.
It’s the one I turn to when I want something comforting and nostalgic, but still feel-good and nourishing. We use it for mac and cheese, burritos, fries, loaded bowls, and pretty much anything that calls for a pour of creamy, cheesy comfort.
This version comes together quickly in the Instant Pot (or on the stovetop if you prefer), and it stores, making it perfect for meal prep.
If you’re thinking about eating more plant-based foods, this recipe is a great place to start. It's full flavor, creamy goodness, and delicious in its own right.
What is Vegan Cheese Sauce?
It’s a creamy, pourable sauce made from whole foods like potatoes, carrots, garlic, and cashews. No flour, no oil, no weird ingredients — just real flavor for pasta, bowls, baked potatoes, and more.
This version skips the roux, starches, and soaking. It cooks everything together in the Instant Pot, then blends into a rich, smooth, delicious sauce that works for just about anything. It’s mild, flexible, and great for meal prep.
Why this recipe works
- Creamy without dairy: Potatoes, carrots, and cashews make this sauce silky and smooth.
- Cashews for richness: Raw cashews blend into a smooth, cheesy sauce that feels indulgent.
- Instant Pot convenience: Just toss it in, cook, and blend.
- Oil-free optional: No oil needed for flavor or texture unless you want it.
- Adaptable flavor: Add nutritional yeast, Dijon, smoked paprika, or jalapeño to make it your own.
What ingredients you need for this Cheesy Vegan Sauce
- Yellow potatoes – Unpeeled and roughly chopped
- Carrot – Adds color and a hint of sweetness
- Onion + garlic – Essential base flavor
- Raw cashews – For creaminess
- Water – Or vegetable broth and omit vegan bouillon cube. Using vegetable broth adds more depth
- Unsweetened plant-based milk – Oat, soy, or almond all work
- Vegan bouillon cube – You can use vegetable broth instead of water and bouillon, but I prefer the cube version for a deeper, more balanced flavor — it’s what I always reach for.
- Seasonings – Onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, turmeric, optional cayenne, salt, and black pepper
- Nutritional yeast – Optional, for an umami kick
How to make this recipe (step-by-step)
Add Ingredients to an Instant Pot
Add potatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, cashews, water, bouillon cube, and all spices, except salt, pepper, milk, and nutritional yeast, to the Instant Pot.
Pressure Cook
Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Then, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure and carefully transfer the Instant Pot's contents to a blender.
Add Remaining Ingredients & Blend
To the blender, add milk, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast (if using). Blend until smooth and creamy.
Adjust to taste & serve
Give your cheese sauce a taste and adjust to your preference. Add salt if needed. To adjust consistency, make it spicier, tangier, creamier, or sweeter, see Notes.
Does it taste like real cheese?
Not like sharp cheddar out of a bag—but absolutely hits that cheesy comfort food vibe. It’s creamy, rich, and savory, with just enough depth to make things like mac and cheese, vegetables, and potatoes feel satisfyingly cheesy.
And here’s the wild part — once you start eating plant-based versions, you often end up preferring them. They’re lighter, more nourishing, and somehow even more craveable.
In the kitchen tips
- Nutritional yeast is optional. I prefer the flavor without nutritional yeast, but my kids love it with, so I switch it up.
- Adjust thickness after blending — add more milk or water, a splash at a time if you prefer.
- A vegan bouillon cube is my go-to for this sauce — it adds rich depth that really makes it shine. I usually use Edward & Sons Not-Chick’n or Better Than Bouillon No Chicken. Using broth instead? Start with less salt — you may need more or less depending on how salty your broth is. Taste and adjust after blending.
- Sea salt — start small, especially if your bouillon cube is salty. Adjust after blending.
- No need to soak the cashews—this recipe cooks them first, so they blend up creamy without extra prep.
I love using this sauce in my Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese, poured over Potatoes with Broccoli + Cauliflower, or drizzled on a thick slice of a Vegan Meatloaf. So good—and all meal-prep friendly!
Substitutions & variations
- Out of nutritional yeast? You can skip it entirely, or try adding a splash of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, or a pinch of miso paste for that umami “cheesy” boost. Start small and adjust to taste.
- Nut-free? Use white beans, sunflower seeds, or steamed cauliflower.
- No vegan bouillon cube? Use low-sodium vegetable broth (1.5 cups) and omit both the vegan bouillon cube and water.
- Want it spicier? Add more cayenne, blend in pickled jalapeños, or a splash of hot sauce.
- Tangier? A squeeze of lemon or a splash of Dijon works great.
- Sweeter? A dash of maple syrup brings balance, especially if your carrots aren’t very sweet.
- Creamier? Add an extra 2 tablespoons of cashews or a drizzle of olive oil.
How to use this Cheese Sauce
This is one of those sauces you’ll start batch-prepping just to always have it on hand. Use it like you would any cheese sauce:
- Pour over steamed or baked potatoes (especially with steamed broccoli!)
- Stir into pasta for a creamy mac and cheese
- Drizzle on grain bowls, breakfast burritos, or tacos!
- As a chili-cheese fry topper
- Over steamed veggies for an easy weeknight side
- Swirl into vegan chili for richness and depth
Storage & meal prep
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in small containers or silicone trays for 2–3 months.
- To reheat: Warm in a saucepan over low heat or microwave in short bursts. Thin with a splash of plant milk or water if needed.
- Meal prep tip: Double the batch and portion it out. This recipe will stay good in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Great for busy weeks!
FAQ
Add nutritional yeast for that deep, umami-rich flavor — it’s what gives most vegan cheese sauces that cheesy flavor. You can also stir in a touch of Dijon mustard, lemon juice, or even a pinch of smoked paprika to add complexity. Start small and adjust to taste.
Yes! Sub with white beans, sunflower seeds, or steamed cauliflower.
Yes! Just blend it thicker and serve warm. It’s great with tortilla chips, soft pretzels, or veggies.
Yes — it’s naturally oil-free as written (just check your broth or bouillon).
No problem. There’s a stovetop method included — and it only takes about 15 minutes.
I can’t wait for you to try this vegan cheesy sauce! If you make it, tag @becomingyouwithjulie on Instagram — I’d love to see how you use it! And if you have a sec, a quick comment or rating helps more than you know. Thanks so much for being here! 💛
📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Cheese Sauce (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow potatoes, scrubbed and roughly chopped, no need to peel
- ½ cup carrot, diced, 6–7 inches
- ⅔ cup onion, chopped, ⅔ of a medium onion
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1.5 cups water
- 1 vegan bouillon cube
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- Pinch of cayenne, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 20 turns black pepper
- ½ cup plant-based milk, unsweetened and unflavored
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast, optional
Instructions
Instant pot instructions
- Add Ingredients to Instant Pot: Add potatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, cashews, water, bouillon cube, and all spices, except salt, pepper, milk, and nutritional yeast, to the Instant Pot.
- Pressure Cook: Seal the lid and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. Then, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure and carefully transfer the Instant Pot's contents to a blender.
- Add Remaining Ingredients & Blend: To the blender, add milk, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast (if using). Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste & Adjust: Give your cheese sauce a taste and adjust to your preference. Add salt if needed. To adjust consistency, make it spicier, tangier, creamier, or sweeter, see Notes.
Stovetop instructions
- Add potatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, cashews, water, bouillon cube, and all spices (except salt, pepper, milk, and nutritional yeast) to a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 12–15 minutes, until veggies and cashews are soft.
- Transfer to a blender, add milk, salt, pepper, and optional nutritional yeast.
- Blend until smooth and adjust salt or thickness as needed.
Notes
- Thinner? Blend in more plant-based milk, until you reach your desired consistency.
- Spicier? Add more cayenne, blend in pickled jalapeños, or a splash of hot sauce.
- Tangier? A squeeze of lemon or a splash of Dijon works great.
- Sweeter? A dash of maple syrup brings balance, especially if your carrots aren't very sweet.
- Creamier? Add an extra 2 tablespoons of cashews or a drizzle of olive oil.
Tia W says
Hello mate great blog
Julie Gaeta says
So happy to hear you like it. Thanks so much! 😊
Julie Gaeta says
This one’s a meal prep staple for me. I’ve made it more times than I can count, and it never gets old. Super creamy, such a good flavor, and works on just about everything. Definitely a must-try!